Flight Dynamics Engineer III (Trajectory), Elytra (Aerospace)

Location: Austin, Texas, United States. ITAR eligibility requires U.S. citizenship, lawful permanent residence, protected individual status, or eligibility to obtain required U.S. Department of State authorizations.

Company

hirify.global is a space and defense technology company developing launch, lunar, and space-system capabilities.

What you will do

• Optimize spacecraft trajectories and maneuver sequences for LEO and cislunar missions while balancing delta-V, mission duration, and payload constraints.
• Design and maintain mission designs from concept development through spacecraft mission operations.
• Develop maneuver-targeting algorithms, error budgets, sensitivity analyses, contingency plans, and abort scenarios.
• Translate maneuver plans into executable command sequences and operational procedures with cross-functional teams.
• Serve as a flight dynamics operator, perform maneuver reconstruction, and improve spacecraft models using flight data.
• Verify and validate flight dynamics models and software, and author technical documentation and analysis reports.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering, physics, mathematics, or a related field.
• 5–8 years of spacecraft flight dynamics experience with significant depth in mission design or maneuver planning.
• Experience supporting operational spacecraft missions through multiple mission phases.
• Advanced knowledge of orbital mechanics, spacecraft attitude control, targeting and optimization, estimation theory, and uncertainty modeling.
• Experience with software development and modeling/simulation for spaceflight applications, including Python and Linux.
• Working proficiency with commercial trajectory design tools such as STK, FreeFlyer, or GMAT, plus strong communication and presentation skills.

Nice to have

• Master's or PhD in aerospace engineering, physics, mathematics, or a related field.
• Expert-level STK proficiency and experience with JPL's MONTE software suite.
• Software engineering experience with Git, code review, automated testing, documentation, and CI/CD workflows.
• Knowledge of spacecraft subsystems and experience mentoring junior engineers.

Culture & Benefits

• Health, dental, and vision plans with low deductibles.
• Parental leave and short-term disability coverage.
• Educational reimbursement.
• Flexible PTO options.
• Mission-critical work spanning Earth, lunar, and deep-space systems.